Internal cleaning and coating

of in-place pipelines
by C Klein
Union Carbide Industrial Services Co, USA

Contents of this Paper:

Introduction

Overview of cleaning and coating process

Surface preparation

Coating materials

Application of coating

Case studies

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1991

Introduction
As more and more emphasis is being placed on preventive maintenance, methods of suppressing internal
corrosion in pipelines are receiving increasing amounts of attention. Internal corrosion may cause leaks, with
possible disastrous environmental effects, or may cause the product carried by the line to become discolored or
otherwise contaminated. The costs associated with internal corrosion can be staggering, but can usually be
prevented by one of several methods. This paper describes one such method, the double-plug extrusion process
for applying coating to the inside of in-place pipelines. It will also address surface preparation for coating.

Overview of cleaning and coating process

Three critical factors influence the success of any coating project: surface preparation, coating material, and
application technique. The wrong choice in any area may cause premature failure or decease the life of the
coating. This, of course, is true of both internal and external coating, although these factors are more difficult to
control and inspect internally. For this reason, methods must be used which offer the highest potential for success.
A reputable, experienced service company is also a must.
The first step of any coating job is to thoroughly clean the inside of the pipe to properly prepare its surface. The
preferred cleaning standard is a white-metal blasted finish (NACE #1 or SSPC SP5), which ensures optimal
coating adhesion. The coating material, specifically selected to withstand the internal environment of the line, is
then applied by extrusion between two compressible, spherical pigs.

Surface preparation
The objective of surface preparation is to remove all deposits, including rust, scale, and salts that could interfere
with the coating bond, from the line. It is highly desirable to create a deep, angular anchor pattern to which the
coating will best adhere. After cleaning, the line should also be completely dry and blanketed by an inert gas to
prevent flash rusting. All of these conditions can be achieved by SANDJET, the abrasive blasting procedure used
in the InnerCure Pipeline Renewal Service developed by UCISCO (Union Carbide Industrial Services Co). such
as flint, which is propelled in a high-velocity stream of nitrogen. The cleaning particles impinge upon the wall of
the pipe at a low angle of incidence, gouging and/or chipping away at the deposit. All waste material is carried
through the line with the nitrogen, and can be collected at the outlet. Because the pressure drops and the velocity
increases as the nitrogen flows through the line, cleaning is more efficient in the outlet half of the line. Therefore,
cleaning is typically performed in both directions to provide optimum surface preparation. After abrasive
cleaning, pigs and/or solvents are used to remove any remaining dust. Erosion is minimized by tightly controlling
the velocities of the nitrogen and cleaning material. The process can clean around any bends or elbows.
The equipment needed for the cleaning process consists of:
1. a mobile nitrogen pumping unit, usually a pumper truck (which vaporizes liquid nitrogen) or a tube trailer
(which contains high-pressure gaseous nitrogen);
2. a trailer-mounted cleaning unit consisting of a feed pot and all equipment to accurately control the
nitrogen flowrate and velocity and the feedrate of the cleaning material;
3. an injection device which is connected to the pipes inlet by a standard flange;
4. a dust-suppression/waste-collection system, usually a vacuum truck or covered dumpster. All waste
material is dry and easily disposed of by the customer.

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Internal cleaning and coating of in-place pipelines

Occasionally, SANDJET cleaning may uncover very thin, hard deposits, such as magnetite, which are more
economically cleaned with chemicals. If this is the case, the line is abrasively cleaned again after chemically
cleaning to reestablish the desired anchor pattern and remove chemical residue. Also, by removing rust or scale,
cleaning may expose leaks that must be repaired before coating.
Clear advantages of this system over traditional cleaning methods, such as pigging or chemical washing, are
numerous. Most important is its ability to reach a NACE #1 or SSPC SP5 white-metal blasted finish, which
eliminates any contamination that may prevent bonding between the pipe and coating. The cleaning particles
produce a deep, angular anchor pattern that enhances the coating bond. The nitrogen used to propel the cleaning
particles also dries the line and leaves it in an inert atmosphere to prevent flash corrosion. Most lines can be
cleaned very quickly, in about eight hours. Also, long sections of pipelines can be cleaned per setup, reducing
excavation costs and time. In general, the maximum length that can be cleaned per setup is a function of the inside
diameter of the pipe. The ID (in inches) divided by three will give the length in miles that can be cleaned. For
example, the method can clean up to four miles of 12-in pipeline per setup.

Coating materials
A wide variety of coatings have been used to internally coat in-place pipelines. The double-pig extrusion
process requires specific physical properties, including that it be thixotropic, or lose viscosity under shear
pressure. This enables the coating to be spread onto the pipe wall with pig pressure and then thicken immediately
thereafter, to prevent the coating from running or sagging. Also, the coating must be at least 60% solids.
The most commonly-used coating is a two-part polyamide-cured epoxy. It is moderately chemical- and abrasionresistant, and will withstand temperatures of up to 150F under immersion service (220F, atmospheric service)
and pressures up to 500psig. The polyamide coating is recommended for lines carrying potable, fresh, and salt
water, crude oils, transportation fuels, natural gas, and some solvents. It is not recommended for lines containing
strong aromatics, strong organic acids, or high levels of sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. The minimum cure
time for this coating is seven days at 70F, although it may be force-cured much quicker if the line can be heated.
Many other coatings, such as polyamines and polyurethanes, have been used, depending on the operating
conditions of the line. At this time, there is no clear choice of coatings for hostile environments (high-pressure
and/or high-temperature). Much testing is currently being done in this area. Also of interest are coatings
appropriate for service-water systems in nuclear power plants.
It is difficult to predict how long a coating material will last on the inside of a pipeline. UCISCO has been coating
lines since 1977, and these coatings are still in place. The expected method of failure is flaking or chipping of the
coating. The lines can then be recleaned (to remove the old coating) and recoated.

Application of coating
Coating is applied to in-place pipelines by placing the coating material between two pigs and propelling the pig
train through the line. Several types of pigs, including multiple-cup-and-disc, bi-directional disc, and spherical,
are commonly used. UCISCO prefers inflatable spheres because they are reversible, non-collapsible, can
negotiate tight bends without leaving gaps, and will conform to internal pipe irregularities. Spherical pigs also
produces thicker coating layers, usually 4-6mils (dry film thickness), as opposed to 1-3mils for other types of pig,
which means that a line needs only one to two coats if done with spherical pigs.
The coating thickness is controlled by the size of the spheres (shear pressure on the coating) and the speed of the
pig train. The speed is controlled by the differential pressure across the pig train, which is determined by the
pressure differential upstream and downstream. Nitrogen is used as both the driving force and back pressure,
because its flowrate and velocity can be easily controlled by the same pumping equipment used to clean the line,
and because its inertness prevents any possibility of flashing of the solvent material (usually MEK) in the line.
Typically, two coats are applied, one in each direction, to ensure thorough coating of welds, joints, and plugged
laterals.
Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1991

The double-plug extrusion process has several limitations. The coating serves as a barrier for future corrosion or
product contamination, but it will not repair or cover leaks, or add structural strength to the line. All leaks must be
repaired before coating, including those that can be uncovered during cleaning. While this method can clean and
coat much longer lengths than most alternative methods, it cannot coat through diameter changes, and lines must
be broken at these points.

Case studies
Many types of line have been successfully coated by the double-plug extrusion process. They include: potable
water, raw water, brine, crude oil, refinery off gas, jet fuel, isopropyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, and others. Below
are a few case studies.
Chemical solvent lines at shipping terminal
A large chemical producer coated 2000ft of new, buried 6-in carbon steel pipe to prevent iron and corrosion from
contaminating several water-white chemicals. Their alternative, stainless steel pipe, would have cost up to ten
times that of coating carbon steel.
Jet fuel lines at military base
Several military installations have coated jet fuel lines, both new and old, in order to prevent contamination from
internal corrosion. Their alternative, cleaning and dewatering the fuel with filters and separators, was more costly
and less reliable.
Water feed to steam generator used in crude oil production
An oil producer that uses steam for down-hole injection coated 5.5 miles of 10-in new water lines to the steam
generators to prevent corrosion from contaminating the generators. Their alternative, pre-coated, or yard-coated,
pipe was about 40% more expensive, and would leave coating gaps at the joints.
Boiler feed water line in refinery
A major refinery coated 1600ft of 4-in boiler feed water line which had severe flow restriction due to
tuberculation. Their alternative, replacement of the pipe, was twice as expensive and would take much longer than
coating.
Wet natural gas gathering lines
A major utility company coated 4.3 miles of 6-in and 4 miles of 4-in new natural gas gathering lines. The lines
were being chemically treated with corrosion inhibitors, but the customer wanted additional protection in an
environmentally-sensitive area.
Brine feedwater lines
A major producer of brine coated several sections of 12-in new, buried and floating line ranging from 5000ft to
10,500ft in length, in order to prevent corrosion in an environmentally-sensitive area. Their alternatives, sliplining and yard-coating, were approximately three to four times the cost of coating the carbon steel pipe.

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.